Size problems

[Fred]

Well I  decided to make my own bowling ball mortar the other day so on Thursday I paid 20 bucks for a what I was told was a o2 cly. and had them cut  it in half.

On Friday I scouted out some garage sales for for bowling balls  and bought a couple.

Well they didn't fit, they only went in about a third of the way.

The cly. turned out to be a CO2 cly. not O2 and was one that failed testing. The cly. looked a little out of round. I have no way of measuring the cly.

Do CO2 cly. had a differ inside dia. than a O2 tank?

I would think the bowling balls are of proper size.

So why doesn't the balls fit the cly. ?

This is a full size looking cly. 122 or 112 cu ft the ones you see on welding carts aprox 4.5-5' high. The welding shop supply did not know of 80 cu ft. size tanks.
 
So are there 80 cu ft tanks?  if so what kind of gas tank has the correct inside dia. for a BBMortar?  The posts to this site say full size, 80 cu ft. size cly the kind for welding gases have the correct dia. well guys and gals what size of cly in capacity and what kind of gas? really works??

THis cly was manufactured in 1916, could cly that old have thicker wall than newer clys

Need some help here

FRED..............................

So as for now I'm out 20 bucks and some time

[Cat Whisperer]

Fred -
  You're gaining information we didn't have.  I'd guess that manufacturing processes were much less controlled in 1916 (1961?) (geometric tolerancing came in during 1960's as a spin off from the WWII manufacturing tolerances improvements.  

  Usually when a cylinder fails pressure test it is punctured so it can not be used as  a pressure cylinder again.

  You could check the roundness of the ID by cutting a stick the length of the diameter and checking the amount of clearance at various points.

  It would be possible to build a  filler plug for the lower 2/3 of the tube to take up most of the volume but certainly not practical - especially for ignition.

  If it is dented or out of round straightening it is a problem as well.  I've not seen, but they might exist, a small hydraulic cylinder to put inside to bend it back.  But then what have you done for strength?

  If it has good tone, when rung, you might have a good dinner gong.  Not much value compared to a mortar.

  It is possible to chuck it up in a large lathe with a steady rest and ream the inside (with a boring bar) to the right size.

Not much for choices.

[Fred]

Well in this day of high tech. one's mindset is on the tech. tools available and forgets the simple older methods of days gone by. Such as a stick cut to size to measure the dia of a cly. thanks for the idea I'll  probally use something other than a stick.

I questioned the guy about the date and he showed me the numbers on the tank 1916. I was surprised they would sell a test failed cly. with just the valve removed and the numbers x'ed out with a stamping tool.

Again what size cly. and what kink of gas cly. should I be looking for.

Oh yea they sound just great  and would make real nice gongs or really big wind chimes for high winds.

I might go back and try to get another cly. as the person who sold me this one said it was an O2 tank and turned out to be a CO2 tank. Maybe if I offered to pay the $5 he charged to cut the tank they will take the one I have back and exchange it for a O2 tank.

Also one of my motorcycle friends works at a salvage yard and he said a buch of tanks came in but he does not what size they are, so I see him at 1:45pm today.

[Fred]

These Fuxking computers just when you get about done, something pops up and when you get rid of it so does everthing else dissapear and its probally out there somewhere in cyber space somewhere. Now you know not only that I can't spell but can hardly use the computer.  It sure would be nice if there was spell check when posting to this site.

Ok now to on the the front sight. Since you cannot use a one shot at a time magnatic sight I'm afraid you will have to make some sort of little bitty hole in that beautiful tube.

Why not move your slap hammer to the side, that way you could use the top of you ign. cap. as the center of the rear of the tue and in that little bitty hole you drilled install your front sight in what ever style you want( blade, knob, round, round with point on top or whatever). Sight in as you would your Remmingtons, by filing the front sight until your'e satisfied.

Dixie sells sights and the pics. might give you some ideas, also under the stickeys in this forum, cannon resourses, there is a web sight for Civil War cannon sights, again illustrations may give you ideas.

Do you or does anyone at your work know what  size of cly. (cu ft or cu in or in your case in metric but could you put it in cu. ft or cu in cause I couldn't do the converson) and what kind of gas it contains with an inside dia. of 8.8 or 8.605 inhes or few thousands over. in other words a bowling ball is either 8.5 or 8.605 in. in dia. so I need a cly. that the ball will fit into and enough room around it for clearance.

I also shoot CAS and usually shoot my 1858 Remmingtons but this year my wrist and hands hurt and are swollen from using crutches from a motorcycle acc. 4.5 yrs ago, that loading them is difficult and takes to much time for a CAS shoot so I tried my .45's but the recoil was a little harsh so I'm using a pair of .357's shooting .38's that I picked up last winter through EMF for $239 bucks apice. They are Uberties Dakotas. I use a Rossi stainless steel l892 oct. 24" barrell in .357 cal. and a 20"  12 gage coach gun.

At Civil War reenactments I use a full size Mt. Howitzer with 3.82 bore and 9oz of FFA or 4 FA  of Holy Smoke Blanks.

Have not live fired it yet as I have no way of casting a shell (no mold but have access to a couple hundred lbs. of zink)

Well off to work on my cannon wheels and a base carriage for my Swivel Gun D-Cell flash light battery cal. Golf balls fly with the wind but the d-cell stays true.

FRED.........................

PS

How did you get to own handguns in your Gun friendly country, bet you ran right down to register them under the New Govt. registration act.

This should be under Clamity Janes "Front Sight Ideas" as I said aaaabout the computers and the idiot user""""""

[Calamity Jane]

Thanks fer the idears Fred - hadn't thought of turning the caplock sideways - that makes sense!

Aint' really much different up here with gunz, despite what some radikals would have ya believe. Ya gotta have a license to buy/own firearms, but that jist means ya took a safety course 'n' ain't been convicted of a violent crime (lately). 'N' ya gotta have a permit ta pack short-arms. No biggie.

Yup, me gunz is registered - didn't have much option. Handguns up here have been registered since 'bout 1948 'n' I'z had handguns since 'bout 1967, so I waz already "in the system" - ain't no point in hidin when they know whar ya iz!

[jimwaits]

80 Cu ft is a very small oxygen cylinder and is not close to bowling ball size. 29 1/8 inch circumference is right for a bowling ball. I have six or eight cylinders and they are all different. some are 29 1/2 inch and one I have is the correct size.
  I have cut the top off of the 29 1/2inch one and will check when I get it sawed into. It may be too big and need a patch to work.  I personally saw and measured the Florida Bowling Ball Mortar from this Forum and it was 29 1/8inches circ. Problem is lots of different manufacturers and no standard for size. Some are smaller than others. Florida don't even have a standard color for gas cylinders and each provider may have a different color for oxygen etc.

[Cat Whisperer]

It would be interesting to see if the wall thickness is the same or different on the cylinders of slightly different circumferences.  (And hence the inside diameter.)

[jimwaits]

Yes, I thought the 29 1/2 inch cyl would work and started cutting the end off of it before I got to measure the Florida Bowling Ball Mortar. It was exactly 29 1/8 inch but since I already started cutting on my 29 1/2 inch cyl I went ahead. I have the nose cut off of it now and only need to grind it a bit smoother and ream the hole to match the hole I will cut in my powder chamber and then cut the cyl. off about 17.3 inches. When I get it cut I can measure the inside and see what goes. I have another cyl that is 29 1/8 exactly but did not know it until I had started cutting on the larger one. I think these cylinders are over 100 cu ft. size. I believe the 80 cu ft one is very small. It sure isn't very easy to cut these things!!

[Fred]

Well have you found out if the bowling ball will roll down your cylinder yet? and what the thickness of the wall is.

Just how do you plan on making this motar? If you cut off the nose, by this I'm guessing the valve end, how are you going to make your powder chamber?

what are you going to use for legs, if making your own how?

Where did you get your plans, or where is there a picture of the motar your making (on the web)

My limited research showed, find a clyinder that you think a bowing ball will roll down, cut to the length you want your tube leaving the clyinder valve end intack. A 2" trailer hitch ball with  1" shaft  will fit the the clyinder threaded hole, however the cly. threads are tapered and will to be tapped to a straight thread.  Screw in  the trailer hitch ball, leaving enough space for the powder, weld and there you have the tube.

your's or anyones else comments?//////

[jimwaits]

See "Florida Bowling Ball Mortar" this forum ...http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=28013&sid=e041ad439ecf56985efdefc3f6a1bb0e
It will have to be all on one line to work...I have examined this mortar hands on and plan to construct mine the same way. Cut the nose off and leave a four inch flat spot. Open up the hole to two inches to match the two inch chamber hole in the piece of four inch stock which is five inches long with 2 by 2 1/2inch chamber. Then weld on the chamber. There is a two inch shaft for trunions welded on back side of the powder chamber.
I used a borrowed "METABO" grinder and cut off wheel to cut the valve off. I though so much of it that I have ordered one for myself and am waiting on it to get here to tackle the cutting off of the cylinder itself. I have the stock for the chamber but have to cut it off to five inches and bore the hole...all a slow project for 74 yr old guy. I have a metal cutting bandsaw which will handle the five inch stock but not the oxygen cyl. I have no doubt the bowling ball will roll down my cyl....maby too loose
but I will report soon as I get it cut off.